Coherer.



E. R. GILL.

COHERER.

APPLICATION HLED rEB.2o,1914.

Patented Aug. 17, 1915.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.v

E. R. GILL.

COHl-RER.

'.APPLICATloN FILED 1511.20, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

.uurrnn srnrns rnrnnr ergeren EDWIN R. GIEL., F YONKERS, YORK, ASSIGNOR lO THERUN MCCAMPIBELL.

connai-nn.

mh-m

inediti@ Spccicetion of Letters Patent.

lbatented Aug. 31T?, ili.

Application filed February 20, 1914. Serial Ho. 819,387.

Y. T0 all fathom it may concern 'Be it known that l, Enwru R. Ginn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Yonkers in the count of iVestcliester and-- State lof New York, have inventedv certain new and useful improvements in Coherers; and l: do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and enact description of the invention, such will enable others skilled in fitting the art to which it' appertains to make and use the same.

The ordinary type of coherer used for the purposes of wireless telegraphy consists of an insulating tube, ordinarily of glass, and two conducting terminal bodies thrust into the two ends of the tube so as to leave a very small space between them, which space is occupied by the comminuted particles whose coherence is eii'ected by the aerial. waves which traverse a suitable circuit to which the terminal bodies are connected.

@ne diiiiculty to which coherers have always been found to be subject is the uncertainty of decolierence. One reason for this is the tendency for the fine cohering particles tobecome interlocked or jammed between theends of the terminal bodies, or for a long particle to form a bridge between them. Another diliculty is found in the necessity for great care in the exact shaping of the tube and the proper fitting of theterminal bodies .within it to prevent the particles from finding their way into small spaces between the terminal bodies and the tube.

The present inventionavoids any possibility of particles becoming jammed, and, in its preferred form makes any accurate of tubes unnecessary, since no tube is used.

The invention further provides a special form and constitution of terminal bodies, as well as special means for insuring decoherence by positive action, where desirable.

ful in connection with wireless receiving instruments devised by me' wherein the co circuit, each coherer is decohered, usually by My improved coherer is particularly use causing it to turn in suoli a manner that the coherent particles roll ov r each other. Inv one form of my present coherer positive means areemployed to break down the conducting bridge formed by coherence of the particles. Certain preferredforins of coherer made in accordance with my inventionare illustra-ted by way of example in the accompanying vdrawings wherein- Figure l is a longitudinal median section of a coherer made in accordance with the invention, Fig. 2 is a similar section of part cfa niod'lied form, Fig. 3 is a ,cross section of the form shown in Fig. 2 taken on tbe plane 3-3 of Fig. Q, Fig. 4 is a similar section showing a modified form of stirring attachment, Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of another modification, Fig. G is a face view of a separated coherer of another modified forni, Fig. '7 is a similar view of another modification, and Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section on the plane 8 8 of Fig. 7.

Generically speaking, the coherer comprises two conducting terminal bodies l0 and ll, between the .meeting ends of which there is inserted an insulating ring l2, made preferably of mica or tli'e. like. The meeting ends of the body portions are hollowed out, making cavities which match and unite .to form a chamber 13 to contain the coherable particles indicated by dots in Figs. l, 3 and 4l. The inner circular edges of l2 should coincide as exactly as possible with the limiting edges of the cavities in the plugs, as shown, for instance, at 14. This makes a. smooth interior all about the cavity 13,- thus facilitating the movements of the coherable particles. It is to be understood that the drawings exaggerateiliinensions for purposes of clearness.

The body portions are pressed against the sides of the insulating ring` l2 in any well known manner. Inllig. l they are united by an insulating post l5, threaded at both ends and screwed into the terminal bodies. In Fig. 5 annular shoulders 16 are provided on the bodies, and these are squeezed together against the washer l2 by any convenient means, as, for instance spring clips 17, covered with or made of insulating material.

Binding posts i8 may be provided where necessary.

By suitably shaping and proportioning the various parts, and by using coberable particles of such shape and size as are cathe ring y pable of acting mechanically to break up coherence by rolling' over each other, deco herence of these devices may be `accomplished with certainty by turning the coherers, particularly when this is done out of relation with any surging circuit.

The shape of the cavity 13 may be calculat'ed for the particular ends desired. The narrower form shown in Fig.l 1 will produce a deeper mass with a given number of coherable particles than Where the -broader cavity of Fig, 2 is used. There is a certain wedging action present which tends to aid coherence and make the coherer more sensitive. My invention covers terminal bodies of this kind whether` used with tubes,

j as common hitherto, or with the washer 12,

as shown.

I may support within the chamber 13 one or more stirring wires, springs or bristles 19 j which are made to sweep through the mass of coherable particles as the coherer r'evolves. The normal position of these may be upright as in Figs. 2 and 3 or at any other angle (preferably `out of contact with the particles during coherence however). The horizontal position is shown in Fig. 4f, and here the stirrer is also shown to consist of a number of wires. springs or bristles.

'Any stirring element. is withimthe invention.

In Fig. 5 is shown a form wherein the body parts 10 and 11 may remain stationary and wherein the stirring element 19 is mounted upon a revoluble shaft 20, which i may be turned from without; as, -for instance, by the gear wheel 21.

.In the modification of my invention which is shown in Fig. 6, the'insulating ring or washer 12 is so cut that its inward edge projects within the edges of the opposed cavities inthe terminal bodies,rwhich edges arevshown in dotted lines in Fig. 6. This .forms a raised ring-shaped ridge, whereby Athe particles at the bottom of the coherable .mass are forced to `leave the rectilinear po sition, and thus is avoided. the danger, of

' single' needle-like particles-or permanent l plugs.

chains of coheri'ng ragments--persisting in a chain across the narrow space between the This makes decoherence more cerl tain with a given degree of sensitiveness.

In Figs,- and8 is showna particular species of the-modification last above ad-y l verte'd to, wherein the degree o'sensrt-ive ually, and, since the mass of coherable particles always rests upon the bottom of the chamber 15, it follows ythat the height of the ridge extending. upward into the mass will depend upon the position of the cohererf` Merelyy revolving the latter will therefore determine the extent to which the ridge lessens the maximum sensitiveness of the coherer.

Various changes may be made in this de.-4

vice without departing from my invention, v

and I do not limit myself to the details herein shown and described.

1. A coherer comprising -terminal ,bodies abutting upon an insulating ring which separates them, said bodies having opposed cavities forming a chamber. into which at least a part of said ring projects, and co- I herable particles inV said chamber, substantially as described.

y2. A coherer comprising terminal bodies having opposed cavities, an insulating ring between said bodies arranged so that a por tion of its inner edges projects into the chamber formed between said bodies and "slopes gradually into coincidence with-the edges of said cavities, and coherableparticles within said chamber, substantially as described. 1

3. A coherer comprising terminal bodies having opposed cavities, with circular edges, a separating insulatingring Vbetween said bodies having'its circular opening set eccentrically with respect tov the edges of said cavities,v and coherable particles within the chamber formed between said bodies, substantially .as described.

'4. A coherer comprising termi-nal'A bodies' having opposed cavities uniting 'to forma "chamber, an insulating ring between'them,

a joining post threaded and screwing into .said bodies to draw them .together-against said ring, and coherable particles within said chamber, substantially as described.

5. A coherer comprising terminal bodies mutually insulated and separatedby a space, coherable particles within A said space' and a stirringelement connected withv said terminal'bodies and projecting into'saidspace,

substantially as described. u 6. Av coherer comprising terminal bodies having-opposedcavities united -to form a chamber', coherable particles within said chamberaiid a ,stirring element connected ,with lsaid, terminal bodies and projecting into said chamber adapted to come into contact with said particles, substantially'as described.

7 A coherer comprising terminal bodies having opposed cavities united to form ,a chamber," an insulating ring between them, a `post for uniting said bodies passing through said chamber, a stirring device radialiy upon said post, and cohen `ridge projecting into said space and a mass able particles within said chamber with which said stirring device is adapted to be 'brought in contact, substantially as de-- scribed. c

8. A-coherer comprising terminal bodies separated by a suitable space, an insulating substantially as described..

said post and said bodies, 'substantially as described.

l0. A'coherer comprising mutually insulated terminal bodies oif a conductive character' having cavities facing each other, an insulating ring separating said cavities, a

, post passing through said terminal bodies and cavities, and adapted to hold the terminals together against vsaid ring, and coherable particles between said bodies in said cavities, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I atliX my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

EDWIN R. GILL. Witnesses: KATHARINE C. MEAD,

GEO. A. BYRN.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

